With Assembly elections in Kerala imminent, Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi turned his attention towards the southern state last fortnight. In a hectic one-day visit to the state, Rajiv laid the foundation-stone of a naval academy at Ezhimala in Cannanore district and of a 43-km coastal railway line between Alleppey and Kayamkulam. He also announced grants of Rs 415 crore for some non-plan schemes which opposition parties predictably decried as a pre-election bonanza.

Despite the Rajiv visit, wrangling continued in the Congress(I)-led United Democratic Front(UDF). The aborted Republic Day boycott call, to which Indian Union Muslim League's (IUML) Ibrahim Sulaiman Sait was a party, left a bitter taste in the mouth of UDF's two leading partners. While the call stood, the IUML was criticised by several Congress(I) and Youth Congress(I) leaders who demanded that their party break off with the IUML. The state unit of the IUML responded with a tough statement saying that it supported every other step of the Babri Masjid Conference except the boycott.

K. Karunakaran

K.M. Mani

Similarly, even the UDF's third largest constituent - the Kerala Congress - seemed in all kinds of trouble. Differences between the party's two stalwarts - K.M. Mani and P.J. Joseph - have been increasing ever since Chief Minister K. Karunakaran successfully managed to isolate Mani in the party. A showdown has been averted for the time being because top church leaders have succeeded in persuading both groups to hold their fire till the elections are over but last fortnight it seemed that the party would split. To all appearances, it seemed that the pre-election scenario of the UDF was in character with its crisis-ridden past.

In fact, however, quiet but persistent efforts had been initiated to bring greater political stability to the state. After Karunakaran's success in arranging the merger of two small parties into the Congress(I), the party's leaders have now turned their attention to arranging the merger of the Kerala Congress into the Congress(I). The AICC(I) General Secretary, A.K. Antony and the Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs, M.M. Jacob, have been entrusted with this task, since both are Christians. The Congress(I) reasons that if it can bring about a merger of all the smaller parties in the UDF with itself, it will have far greater manoeuvrability in dealing with the IUML.

While the merger will undoubtedly strengthen the Congress(I), for Karunakaran himself there is trouble ahead. His biggest detractor, former home minister Vayalar Ravi, who had been in the US looking after his ailing wife for the past three months, is now back, trying to convince the party leadership that Karunakaran should be banished from Kerala politics. The chief minister was reportedly keen to postpone elections to May, even though his astrologer has advised him to hold them on March 11. After this month's developments some of the mists will clear.

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